Abstract

A siliconnanowire (SiNW), which has been named “biristor” (bistable resistor), is demonstrated for biosensor applications. The SiNW is composed of three segments: n-type (source), p-type (floating-body), and n-type (drain). Its structure is based on a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor without a gate. The biristor uses the uncovered floating-body as a sensing site, and it is triggered by impact ionization. A charge effect arising from biomolecules influences the triggering voltage, which is a sensing metric and changes the resistance of the SiNW. The biristor can be a promising candidate for biosensors in terms of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor compatibility, low-cost, and compact density.

Received 16 September 2012Accepted 16 January 2013Published online 29 January 2013

Acknowledgments:

This work was supported by the National Research and Development Program (NRDP, 2012-0001131) for the development of biomedical function monitoring biosensors and by the Center for Integrated Smart Sensors funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology as Global Frontier Project (CISS-2012M3A6A6054187).